Releasable anchor



y 1966 J. A. NOEL ETAL 3,249,082

RELEASABLE ANCHOR Filed Aug. 19, 1964 INVENTORS JOHN A. NOEL SAM 7: DA V/S United States Patent 3,249,082 RELEASABLE ANCHGR John A. Noel and Sam T. Davis, both of RR. 3, Hennessey, Okla. Filed Aug. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 390,595 4 Claims. (61. 1142tl8) This invention relates generally to boat anchors, and more specifically to an improved anchor construction which enables the anchor to be removed in the event that it becomes entangled in roots, rocks, or like obstructions.

The conventional anchor will frequently become entangled when in use, making it difficult if not impossible to remove the anchor when desired. Our invention contemplates providing an anchor with fiukes which will yielda-bly rotate about a common axis to free themselves from obstruction in response to an overload which is applied to the anchor cable.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an anchor construction which may be safely used regardless of the water bed condition, and which in the event of entanglement with obstructions can be released therefrom at will.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a releasable anchor construction which is rugged and simple in operation, and which performs efliciently to provide an anchor of improved utility.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a releasable anchor which is simple to manufacture so as to enable retail at reasonable cost.

A full understanding of the details of the invention, together with further advantages, will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the anchor with the flukes in the erect position for storage purposes.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the anchor showing the tlukes in the released position which is effective when withdrawing the anchor from an obstruction.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the extensible bearing which retains the fluke shaft.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing the fluke in the operating position at 45 degrees from the vertical.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional elevation of the anchor showing the flakes being forced downwardly preparatory to release from an obstruction.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional elevation taken along the lines '77 of FIG. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 8 represents an anchor shank which comprises a looped eyelet 9 which extends to form two slightly diverging rods 19. A web 11 extends between the rods It) in the vicinity of the eyelet 9 such that the rods may be springingly displaced radially with respect to the web. Two U shaped bearing components 12 are welded to the lower end of the rod such that they are directed towards each other in an overlapping and crossed relationship as clearly seen in FIG. 4. The two components 12 thus combine to form a bearing slot 13 which may be extended in length in response to the rods 18 being pried apart from each other.

Two anchor flukes 14 are assembled on each end of the shaft 15 so as to extend in the same plane as each other on opposite sides of the shank 8. The shaft 15 is received through the bearing slot 13 and the base 16 of the flukes 14 extend normally to the plane of the shank. The fiukes taper upwardly from the base 16 so as to terminate with relatively blunt points 17. Upstanding from the shaft and disposed intermediate the fiukes 16 and the shank 8 are two cams 18 which intend in the direction of the plane of the flukes. Cam plates 19 are of substantially rectangular shape and are welded to the outer sides of the rods 10 in the same plane as the bearing components 12 and extend beyond the side faces thereof so as to be engaged by the cams 18 in the event of rotation of the fluke shaft 15 at points beyond 4-5 degrees from the vertical to either side of the shank 8.

In operation, as the anchor is lowered into the water the ilu-kes are free to rotate through an arc of 45 degrees to either side of the vertical as indicated in FIG. 5, of the drawing. At this point the cams 18 will strike the cam plates 19 and so prevent further rotation. In this position the fiukes operate normally to serve as an anchor. In the event that the fiukes engage beneath an immovable obstruction, the load on the anchor cable must be increased and this will cause the cams to engage the cam plates and forcibly separate the rods ill with respect to each other as indicated in FIG. 6. It will be clear that further load will cause the flukes to rotate beyond the degree position shown in FIG. 6, at which point the flukes will be released from the obstruction and the anchor will be withdrawn with the fiukes disposed in a vertical downward position as shown in FIG. 7.

Having described the invention in a preferred form, it will be appreciated that some modifications may be made to the precise configuration, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A releasable anchor, comprising, a bifurcated shank, an eyelet formed at one end of the shank, bearing components secured to the other end of the shank cooperating with each other to form a U shaped slot between the bifurcation of the shank, two flukes, a shaft connecting the llnkes and received through the slot, a cam extending from the shaft intermediate one of the fiukes and the bifurcated shank, cam plates secured to opposite sides of the shank for interference with the cam to restrain rotation thereof, said cam adapted to urge said plates outwardly with respect to each other in response to a certain overload on said shank to permit rotation of the fiukes with respect to the shank.

2. A releasable anchor according to claim 1, wherein said cam is adapted to engage either of said plates in response to arcuate movement of the flukes through 45 degrees from the plane of the shank.

.3. A releasable anchor according to claim 2, wherein a cam is provided adjacent each fluke and extends in the plane formed by the fiukes.

4. A releasable anchor, comprising, a shank, an eyelet formed at one end of the shank, spaced rods extending from the eyelet to form the other end of the shank, U shaped bearing components secured to the lower end of each rod to extend towards each other in an overlapping crossed relationship, cam plates secured on the opposite sides of the rods adjacent the bearing components, two llukes, a shaft connecting the fiukes and extending through a U shaped slot formed by the bearing components, cams secured on the shaft intermediate each fluke and the shank to engage either of the two plates, said cam plates being urged apart by said earns in response to an overload force applied to the shank to permit said fiukes to rotate through a complete semicircle.

No references cited.

MILTON BUCHL ER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RELEASABLE ANCHOR, COMPRISING, A BIFURACATED SHANK, AN EYELET FORMED AT ONE END OF THE SHANK, BEARING COMPONENTS SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF THE SHANK COOPERATING WITH EACH OTHER TO FORM A U SHAPED SLOT BETWEEN THE BIFURCATION OF THE SHANK, TWO FLUKES, A SHAFT CONNECTING THE FLUKES AND RECEIVED THROUGH THE SLOT, A CAM EXTENDING FROM THE SHAFT INTERMEDIATE ONE OF THE FLUKES AND THE BIFURCATED SHANK, CAM PLATES SECURED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SHANK FOR INTERFERENCE WITH THE CAM TO RESTRAIN ROTATION THEREOF, SAID CAM ADAPTED TO URGE SAID PLATES OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN RESPONSE TO A CERTAIN OVERLOAD ON SAID SHANK TO PERMIT ROTATION OF THE FLUKES WITH RESPECT TO THE SHANK. 